Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-15
BOILER EXPLOSION.
A BAD AccIpEHT AT THE RICHMOND
PAPER-MILL.
Two Men Missing and Both Supposed to
Have Been Killed Others
Injured.


we're earthquake from which 1t has ever
suffered.
At s:4s o'clock the large boiler at the
Richmond Paper-Mill, in which rags are
boiled to be converted into pulp, exploded,
and the sound. which could be heard
All through the central portion OF the city,
threw many PEOPLE into a state OF excite
ment aud CONSERVATION.
OCCUPANTS or THE BUILDING.
when the explosion occurred there were
eight persons on duty In and about the
factory. They were: Watchman j. e..
Metttri and Messrs. WlIliim Piers, Her
bert Price, and Misses Mary Berry and
Annie Williams, all OF whom were in the
papcr-room. in another part Of The estab-
lishment; Peter Pryor, n colorcd laborer,
who was in the boilerroom; Alexander
Gaines, the colored engineer, who
was in the cngine.room just TO
the east OF the b0ier-room, and j. &.
Metiert, son OF the Waterman. who had en-
tered the building to see his father and
others OF the employees.
The first person who entered the build
ing after the -ocident was Mr.. II. Il. Eze-
kiel, who was engaged in posting bills IN
the nCIehborhood. He FASTENED to the
establishment upon hearing the terrific
sound, and, upon entering, found all
Of the employees very much excited.
They had experienced severe shock. bul
were hardly CONSCIOUS Of what had nap
pened. The next persons 20 arrive were
Policeman Wilkinson and Sergeant Scnin-
berger. who were at the Byrd street station
waiting for the $40 train from the Nortd.
which was ten minutes late. They secured
n ladder from somewhere In the neigh
borhood and raised II to the up
staIIs door on the Arcb-strect end,
and by Ueans Of this and with the assist
ance OF the large rope used for lowering
bolts Of paper from This door by means OF a
pulley 10 wagons below secured their safe
exit.
LARGE CROWD.
People 6ocbcd TO The scene OF the wreck
with great rapidIty, and by O'Clock there
was a large crowd present, and others con-
unued to come until after midnight.
A message was at once sent 10 the Tenth
street fire station, and a hook and.ad.
der truck was carried down 10 help dig in
the bricks and d6brtS for the bodies Of the
missing men.
4 Dispatch reporter visited the scene Of
the explosion and inspected the entire es-
Enlistment. Mr.. A. II. Christian, .Ir..
Mr.. Bacon. the superintendent, Mr. Met
teri, the watchman. and others were seen,
but r one Of them were able to give much
information, as it was one Of those things
which happened apparently without as
signable cause.
THE FATHERS STORY.
Mr.. Mettert, an elderly gentleman, whose
hair is silyerod with gray, and who has been
Waterman at the mill for a number OF
years, said:
alt is my custom 10 keep my llntern
lighted at night, so that when hear noise
| can look about the premises at once. Nv
son came in the front door Opening on the
new street at the north side Of the build
ing. and ! met him directly he came in,
knowing that he wanted To see me.
After we had been taking for 4 little
while he said that he wanted to see Alec,
the colored engineer, and went down INTO
the enCine.rOOm TO see him. | came on
back here ana sat down where ] am now
Iat the back OF the e,tablishment. In a
few minutes heard the sound. and upon
examination found thrt there had been a
terrible explosion. Ny son after seeing
Alec went into the boiler.rOom, and he is
now dead, or | fear he i, a. nothing has
been seen OF HIM.
The old gentleman seemed very deeply
affected. yet calmly resigned to his sad
luck. lie said that the cOlorcd man, Peter
Pryor, was also missing, and he supposed
that he, too, was dead. He was utterly
unable to say anything about how tbe eX-
plOSion occurred or what was the cause
Of it.
one GETS OUT.
Soon after the noise was heard. and per-
sons had entered the e>tab ishmcnt, but
before any OF them had ycnlurcd into the
lower part where the explosion occurred,
The engineer came walking up from below
covered with DIRT and dust, and presenting
4 frightful appearance. He had been
struck by a piece " timber and his lie
.ayed by bcing Knocked lut0 4 y1t. lie was
much frightened, but not seriously hurt.
His rieht wrist aud left leg wers sOmeNhlt
acCratCd and his face slightly cur. but /
With the assistance Of two friends he was
ibe to walk TO III, home. al the corner Of |
sixth and ClaS streets. Mr.. Christian i'm. |
nediately teiephoned for DR.. Mcclure to |
ii'lt him. His injuries likely VIII no, keep !
I'm from work very long.
AN EYEWITNESS.
Mr.. T. i. kigOTe. who was Standing on |
iamble's Hi when the explosion Oc- |
'uTrod. describes the scene ~ something |
leautiiul. When be heard the noise he !
umCd suddenly aud looked. seeing mass /
II bricks and c66rjs shoot high into the !
ir. :" 1t kept on going MP, and it was
ong time coming down." When IL did |
descend 1t left white streak behind, winch, !
Ike smoke, slowly faded away.
DISTANCE THE BOILER WAS THROWN.
The explosion was Of evidently great |
lower, and it is hard 10 imagine such a 1
tremendous and heavy thing as the boiler
eng thrown as far as it was. The larger
Iiece about two thirds OF twas thrown
n an casterly direction 40 feet. 1t broke
Is way through twO-foOt solid brick wall |
nd lodged against the brick wall on Arch
treet. knocking it down and scattering
he brick. all over the street for n long dis
lncc. The other piece, the upper end,
vas thrown the distance OF 100 feet up
eainst Woodwlrd'S undergrad.
The boiler was about twenty-five or
biriy feet long and six feet in diameter.
T. capacity was $500 pounds OF rags, and
III night it hsd in il $500 pounds. n
ould bear n pressure % 40 pounds OF
cam, aud just before It exploded II only
ad on Gj pounds. The boiler had been in
Sc for fifteen years, which Is not cOnsid.
red long, as there are many in the same
us;ucss used for tAiriy-fye years or more.
The boiler was a rOtlry one, about three
ghths of an inch thick. and the engine
nth which It was connected, and which j.
ndcr different roof, is a rotary one.
WINDOWS broken.
Blicks we're thrown in every direction
Y the shock. In several places window
lass was broken, even as far away a Third
nd Canal streets.
SLIGHTLY HURT.
Moses Miles (colored) who was on tie
wer floor OF the mill, escaped with ,ligh
ruises.
TWO LADIES HURT.
Two ladies who were at the depot wait
x for The train-Mrs. MOsby, OF Chester,
I'd her slster-werc slightly hurt. They
ere approaching the depot from the dircc-
on OF Ninth street, and received a severe
lock, the former Filling. Her face was
ightly cut, and the young lady was some.
hat stunned. The gite-keeper at the
,p0t went to their help aud assisted MIS-.
osby, who was very much shocked, TO
e depot. He got some stimuIlnts for
n, and she soon recovered and took the
ain for home.
ENGINE ORDERED OUT.
About quarter TO | O'Clock this morn
z a private call for the engine stationed